Friday, May 25, 2012

Why do I Pay so much for Cable but there's nothing on TV?

The other day I came across a list of9 things which will disappear in our lifetime. Along with newspapers and the Post Office, TV was included. The author said of Television:

Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

I don't know what young people are up to these days but I suspect it's not watching TV. I can only speak for myself but even when I would like to relax in front of the TV I can rarely find anything I want to watch.

The current highlight of my TV watching is the Giro d'Italia which fortunately is being covered by North American television this year. The season finales have come and gone for the few "traditional" shows I watch. In fact House was the final finale! I regularly watch Bones and NCIS and The Mentalist and that's about it for mainstream network TV. I can't abide reality TV and have never been able to watch AmericanIdol or Dancing with the Stars for more than 10 minutes.

The OS watches assorted sports which I occasionally follow, especially soccer. We often watch the Market Close on BNN business channel and the BBC news channel. Lately programs about Space seem to play frequently on our TV as we search for something of interest. Or dogs. Even PBS and Knowledge Network can be deserts at times. It's not that we are so highbrow for heaven's sake. After all, our guilty pleasure is So You think You can Dance! Even the OS watches it! Don't ask me why we like it and not American Idol.

Regarding my heading, even though it is now slightly more competitive as companies other than cable get into providing TV, cable rates are creeping up and up. Most give you a reduced rate for 6 months only and who wants to keep changing service providers? Whatever happened to loyalty discounts? To add insult to injury a 12% tax is added as the Government gets its slice of the pie!

Hundreds of channels at huge expense and nothing of interest to watch! Sighs. Thank goodness for books.

JMB, You are so right about it being difficult to find some thing worth watching. I just set stuff I want to watch to record and then watch it when it suits me, skipping the ads. It can easily cut down dome shows by a quarter.

I love strictly/dancing with the stars and the voice, but I don't really see that as "reality TV" I like educational stuff like doumentaries.. Glee, and guilty pleasure biggest looser.

But I have chores and books and a (old broken down sloooow gummed up) computer,